Coffee with canines

Dayton Doggie Dude Ranch hosts peer support gatherings

DAYTON -- For Sarah Peters, boarding pets while their owners are away and advocating for mental health go hand-in-hand.

In fact, late last year, she decided to blend her passion for mental health and substance abuse recovery advocacy and her family's business of boarding pets at the Dayton Doggie Dude Ranch by creating the Best Friend Project. The Best Friend Project is a nonprofit, peer-support program that shelters pets while their humans are seeking help in a treatment facility for mental health or substance use disorders.

Often, when a person enters treatment and they have no friends or family who can take in their pet, the pet ends up in an animal shelter or city pound, Peters said. And sometimes when the person completes their treatment and is ready to go home, their pet has been adopted out or they themselves can't afford to bail the pet out of the pound.

"For a lot of these people, their pet is the reason they got out of bed every day," Peters said.

Peters is a peer support specialist, or someone with lived experiences who is trained to provide support to individuals who struggle with mental health or substance abuse.

"We want to offer peer services to our rural community, and offering peer services would mean getting your peers together so that they can talk and chat," she said.

Recently, she decided to expand the Doggie Dude Ranch and Best Friend Project's missions and began hosting a weekly Coffee on the Corner at the Dude Ranch, 24 E. Skillet Ave. in Dayton.

Every Wednesday from 9 to 10 a.m., Peters invites members of the community to come into the Dude Ranch to enjoy a cup of coffee, chat with others and pet a few dogs. All are welcome, she wrote on the event's page on Facebook, though out of respect for the boarding guests, visitors are asked to leave their own pets at home.

"I love Coffee on the Corner because if somebody doesn't feel like chatting, if they just feel like coming in and having coffee and reading a good book, or they want to sip on some coffee and pet a dog, they don't really have to be real social."

Peters has set up a few cafe-style tables and chairs in the kennel's indoor playground, along with a coffee bar where visitors can brew a cup of joe or whip up an espresso drink. She's working on putting together a small library of books visitors can browse while they're there.

Not only do the visitors get to sip coffee and chat, but the dogs being boarded at the Ranch get a little extra socializing and petting.

As a peer support specialist, Peters advocates for mental health services and education.

"Mental health is a part of overall wellness, it's a part of your overall well being," she said. "Going to a counselor should be no different than the doctor."

In a small town, the challenges with mental health struggles can be even harder.

"They don't have a lot of services in our community, and I'm trying to provide it and also incorporate the dogs into it as well," she said.

Peters has started hosting a monthly Peer Potluck at the Dude Ranch and also provides direct peer support for anyone who wants to stop by or call.

Peters established the Best Friend Project last year. Initially, she coordinated foster homes for the pets needing shelter while their owners were in treatment, but earlier this summer, she began boarding the pets at the Doggie Dude Ranch.

"It's been a huge success," she said.

The Best Friend Project is currently housing seven animals. Three others spent some time there before being reunited with their owner.

The program was approved for opioid settlement funds through Webster County to house pets for Webster County residents who are seeking treatment for methamphetamines and opiates. Those funds can only be used for Webster County residents, so Peters is asking the surrounding counties to approve the same opioid settlement funding to be used for their residents.

The profit from running the Doggie Dude Ranch is currently keeping the Best Friend Project afloat, she said.

Looking ahead, Peters is focusing the Best Friend Project's services on Webster County and the surrounding counties. She's also looking to expand the program to provide pet boarding for residents of domestic violence shelters, as well as to identify other avenues of funding.

Peters is able to board both dogs and cats for the Best Friend Project.

More information about the Best Friend Project can be found on its Facebook page or at www.bestfriendprojectia.org.